TOKYO, Dec 22 — Japan punished or reprimanded a record total of 320 teachers and school staff for sexual crimes and violence in 2023, according to an Education Ministry survey released last Friday.

This marks the first time the annual figure has surpassed 300, based on the Japanese survey of public schools, news agency Jiji Press reported.

Of the 320 offenders, 195 were dismissed, 69 were suspended from duty, and 17 received pay cuts.

By age group, those in their 20s accounted for the largest number of offenders, with 105, followed by 86 in their 30s, 78 in their 50s, and 51 in their 40s.

The survey was conducted across 67 boards of education in Japan’s 47 prefectures and 20 ordinance-designated cities.

The total number of school staff punished or reprimanded in fiscal 2023 rose by 257 to 4,829, compared to the previous year.

Traffic violations or accidents accounted for the majority of the cases, with 2,302 staff involved in such incidents.